Published Date: May 27th, 2026
Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) has handed the control of Lower Melville Woods Waste Facility back to Cireco, following the recent fire.
Following a final assessment this morning (Wednesday), SFRS stood down from the site, bringing the active firefighting phase of the incident to a close.
Area Commander Lee Turnock is the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s Local Senior Officer for Clackmannanshire, Fife and Stirling. He said: “Following extensive operations over two weeks, firefighters have now concluded work at the site and the incident has been brought to a close.
“Throughout this challenging incident, crews worked tirelessly in difficult conditions to contain the fire and ensure public safety.
“People in the surrounding area may still notice some light smoke or smouldering material at the site for a period of time. However, this is expected following an incident of this nature, and there is no cause for alarm.
“I would like to thank our firefighters, Operations Control personnel, partners, and the local community for their continued support, patience and cooperation while this incident was ongoing.”
Chief Executive of Cireco, Robin Baird added: "While firefighting operations have ended, work to safely manage the site continues. Cireco teams are now leading recovery efforts, including ongoing work to spread, dampen and cool remaining hot material.
"There may be some residual smoke or steam visible from parts of the site as this process continues. This is expected and is being carefully managed. Cireco has robust arrangements in place to manage the site safely, which have been agreed with SFRS. Trained staff will be present on site 24 hours a day, seven days a week to monitor conditions and respond quickly to any changes.
"I would like to thank SFRS and all partner agencies for their support in bringing the fire under control, and for the continued cooperation as recovery work moves forward. I'd also like to thank the public for bearing with us through this difficult period."
The waste facility, including the household recycling centre, will remain closed while recovery and remediation work is carried out. The site will be out of operation for several weeks while this work progresses.
This has resulted in some disruption to services. In particular, bulky uplifts have been temporarily suspended, with customers advised to rebook appointments from next week onwards. Cupar Recycling Centre will continue to open seven days a week until Ladybank Recycling Centre reopens.
The temporary 30mph speed limit on the A92, will be lifted at 6pm today (Wednesday) and the access road will reopen tomorrow.
Investigations into the cause of the fire will now be undertaken by the relevant agencies, including SFRS, SEPA and Cireco. It is likely these investigations will take some time.
The public health advice remains unchanged, and people are still advised to take sensible precautions.
